From the publisher: The finale of Flash Forward is here, and Wally West must make the toughest choice of his life: save the day, or save his family. With the crack in the Dark Multiversal barrier reaching critical mass, Wally’s mettle will be tested in ways the young hero has never seen before…and this surprise ending will leave you speechless!
The entire time I've been reading Scott Lobdell's Flash Forward series, I've been wondering if once again, Wally West was going to get a raw deal. I've said it several times, but other than characters who were no longer being written, Wally was treated the worst as a result of DC's New 52 initiative and then Rebirth, which was an attempt to fix all the problems that the New 52 caused, both with continuity and with fans. Wally was erased from existence.Then he was the impetus for all the heroes to "remember" their prior history when it was discovered he had actually been trapped in the Speed Force. When he was released, he found out his whole life was gone; his wife, Linda, didn't remember him and their twins, Jai and Iris, had never existed. Then, as Wally attempted to reconcile his new life at Sanctuary, he accidentally caused the deaths of a number of heroes and villains, including one of his best friends. The guy couldn't catch a break. But then Tempus Fuginaut recruited him to save the Multiverse from a Dark Multiverse that was threatening everything. Wally accepted as a way to atone for his mistakes, and Flash Forward began. Along the way to personal redemption, Wally saved multiple worlds, came face to face with a version of his dead friend, and best and/or worst of all, he found his twins, who knew what had happened to them. It seemed like Wally would have his life restored, as well as the hope he always represented. However, I kept waiting for Lobdell to pull the rug out from under him one final time.
This brings us to Flash Forward #6, the final issue in the series and the end of Wally's quest to defeat the Dark Multiverse. Without spoiling anything (I hope), let me just say that the ending was bittersweet. Through a strange circumstance involving the Mobius Chair, the creation of Dark Multiverses, and a father's love for his children, Wally was able to restore much of his life but at a cost (one I won't share here). It was a satisfying conclusion up to a point; I continue to wait for Wally to be returned to who he was before all of these reboots. On the downside, it appears that this mini-series was just a way of setting up yet another change for Wally West. Yes, it did some positive things for Wally, but it now seems like more of means to an end type of story. The ending is definitely leading towards something big (and we are pointed towards Flash #750 to see what happens next).
Flash Forward #6 by Scott Lobdell was pretty good. I was pretty happy with most of the outcome, and would recommend it to most Flash readers. But, I'm a little hesitant to keep reading about Wally West. I'm not really interested in seeing him become something different with every new series. I enjoyed reading about Wally because of who he was and what he represented. This doesn't mean I don't want to see him evolve or grow as a character, but if you are the Flash, and you don't do Flash things anymore, are you really the Flash? In my opinion, these characters should remain true to their core values, or you lose something that makes them beloved and important to many readers, much in the way Hal Jordan became Parallax. I'm definitely not finished with Wally, but I'll be keeping an eye on what he becomes.
I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
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